Means and Strategies for Achieving Goal Two Objectives

Provide a forum for customer complaints against firms and persons registered under the CEA.

Strategies:

Investigate and prosecute wrongdoing. The Commission identifies, investigates, and brings enforcement actions regarding possible fraudulent and other illegal activities relating to retail foreign currency transactions and trading on the commodity futures and option markets. The Commission may bring Federal injunction or administrative enforcement cases against persons or firms charged with violating the CEA or Commission rules and regulations.

Inform the public concerning violators. Allegations of wrongdoing and associated legal actions are publicized and communicated to the industry and the public in order to ensure informed market participants.

Provide a forum to bring complaints. The Commission provides a reparations program for commodity futures and option market users to resolve complaints concerning possible violations of the CEA. Approximately 50 reparations cases are filed per year. In FY 2011, the Office of Proceedings is transitioning to Practice Manager, an eLaw automated tool that will assist staff in managing the reparations complaints more efficiently and effectively.

Information regarding the Reparations program is available on the Commission’s Web site. Information regarding the various reparations documents that have been filed or issued by a Presiding Officer or the Commission is available internally to Commission staff and, if appropriated, the public. Dispositions from 1997 through the present are available through the Web site.

Oversee the NFA’s registration program. The Commission oversees the NFA’s registration program, requiring testing, licensing, and ethics training for commodity futures and option professionals. The Commission will do the same for swaps dealers and major swap participants that will be required to register. Commission staff maintain a strong working relationship with the NFA, including joint representation on the Registration Working Group (RWG).

Review regulations and amend or abolish as appropriate. In order to ensure that the regulations enforced by the Commission are sufficiently protective of the public interests, the Commission reviews and adapts its regulations to the evolving conditions and changes in the industry.

Monitor media. The Internet and other media venues are monitored for fraudulent activities and other possible violations of the CEA and Commission regulations.

Maintain cooperative relationships. Strong working relationships with the exchanges, the NFA, other Federal agencies, state governments, law enforcement entities, and foreign authorities maintain the Commission’s ability to gain information for regulatory and law enforcement purposes and to provide enforcement assistance as necessary and appropriate.